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“Al, we all know why he lied.” Ash wiggles her eyebrows and I snort around my next mouthful.
“It’s alright, Ally dear,” Dottie cajoles. “Jake is a good boy. He definitely likes your pie.” She winks, and we all burst out laughing.
“Now, Dottie, tell us the newest gossip,” Ash says.
“Well, did you hear about Karen?” she asks.
“No,” she says, her face lighting up, “we haven’t. Tell us.”
And that’s how we spend the next couple of hours. Eating pie, drinking tea, and gossiping. I feel like I’m home. Which, I guess I am, and that thought makes the corners of my mouth lift in a small smile as I look around at these women.
Laughing with my best friends and Dottie is just what I needed today to forget all about my jumbled emotions.
“Alright, dears, I need to get going back to my grandbabies,” Dottie announces, standing.
“Okay,” I say sadly, and she hugs Ally and Ashley goodbye.
Leaving them on the porch, I walk her through the house and out to her car. “Thank you for coming today.”
“Anytime, Melanie. I love coming back to spend some time here. The back porch will always be one of my favorite places in the world. I spent a lot of time out there with my husband, just enjoying each other’s company.”
“I know what you mean.”
“Ah, so you’ve experienced the magic of it with young Alex?”
“Yes,” I say shyly.
“Now, remember, the second pie is in the bag in the kitchen. It’s for you and Alex.” She smiles. “You may not need it, but just in case, it can solve any problem, and has the power to make a man fall in love.”
“Love?” I sputter, my eyes widening. “Who said anything about love?”
“You didn’t have to. I know that look in your eyes.”
Uh…
“Don’t deny yourself the opportunity for something great just because you may be afraid.”
“I’ll try,” I manage to say, my mind running a million miles a minute.
“Good.” She nods. “Call me if you need anything or want to do this again. I love seeing you girls.” She smiles. “It reminds me of being young myself.”
“You still are,” I tell her, and she laughs a light musical laugh.
“Thank you, dearie. You girls have a good rest of your day.”
“Thank you, Dottie. You too.”
Watching her get in her car, she drives off and waves back before disappearing behind the trees.
She seriously has some old lady juju when it comes to couples. If Alex and I are a couple… I don’t know. We haven’t really discussed that. We’ve just been enjoying each other.
I walk around the side of the house instead of walking back through it, and my heart beats a little faster thinking of the last time I walked this route.
“Why is your face red?” Ash asks when I reach them.
“What? It’s not. I’m fine.”
“You’re a liar.”
